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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26219413">Like Home</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amerna/pseuds/Amerna'>Amerna</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Reality Show, F/M, Home Improvement, Reality TV, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:48:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,845</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26219413</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amerna/pseuds/Amerna</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy and Steve are co-hosts and competitors on a home-design TV show.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>119</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Season 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Em_Jaye/gifts">Em_Jaye</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the beautiful Em_Jaye on the occasion of her birthday. Do you remember when I told you this was a story I was never going to write? Well, this past weekend I felt like it and since your birthday was fast approaching, I got my ass in gear. I know, I know, I should maybe finish the story I started last year and, so far, haven't finished, but I'll get to it... eventually. This story has progressed much further in less time already, so let's hope at least here I can keep the momentum going.</p>
<p>Full disclaimer: This is clearly modeled after "Love It or List It", a show I've never seen in my life. As a matter of fact, I've never seen a home improvement show and all I have to show for are my meager home improvement skills. Also, this is unbeta'd. I think I also talked with katertots about this a long, long time ago? She deserves some credit although I don't really remember the particulars.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h3>Season 1</h3>
<p>“‘Move over, Property Brothers, there’s a new reality TV hunk in town’,” Tony looked up from his tablet. “Now those are the headlines I like to see.”</p>
<p>“I feel so objectified,” Steve quipped to which Darcy snorted. She’d only known Steve for a couple of weeks but already knew that she shared the same humor.</p>
<p>Tony shook his head at them. “What do we say in this business?” he asked.</p>
<p>Both Darcy and Steve looked at him in confusion.</p>
<p>“Rhodey?” Tony looked expectantly at his production coordinator.</p>
<p>“We don’t care about feelings,” Rhodey recited flatly, “the only thing that matters are the ratings.”</p>
<p>“Exactly.” Tony nodded approvingly. “And you guys work for me, I discovered you, so suck it up.”</p>
<p>“Whatever you say, Tony,” Steve said much too earnestly for which Tony looked at him suspiciously.</p>
<p>“Anyway,” Tony continued, “now, as you know, we’re a couple of episodes in but there’s one aspect the network would like us to concentrate on that came up in early reviews.” Tony turned back to his tablet. “‘Witty and savvy real estate agent Darcy Lewis turns out to be a perfect foil for Steve Rogers’ earnest, down-to-earth contractor with a heart of gold’,” Tony recited from the article.</p>
<p>“You’re welcome,” Darcy commented.</p>
<p>“Now, I think we can develop that a little further.”</p>
<p>“Develop how?” Steve asked suspiciously.</p>
<p>“You know, play up the… contentiousness a little. Make this about winning.”</p>
<p>“You’d want us to develop a fake feud?” Darcy clarified, disbelief coloring her tone.</p>
<p>Tony clucked his tongue reproachfully. “Let’s not call it that. I’d go for… heightened competitive dynamic.”</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p>Steve held out the bottle of water for Darcy, which she took gratefully.</p>
<p>“Thanks. I wish this was something stronger though.” She was sitting outside in one of the production trailers, waiting for filming to wrap up. Their summer air in DC was stifling. “Today has been rough,” she added, taking a sip.</p>
<p>Steve sat down next to her. “Don’t I know it.”</p>
<p>“You can have this win,” Darcy sounded exhausted, “just get this family out of my hair. They’re crazy. I don’t know what they’re expecting. You can’t buy the palace they obviously want for that kind of money.”</p>
<p>“Don’t tell me,” Steve commiserated, “they have completely overblown ideas about what I can do to their current home with the budget they gave me.”</p>
<p>“Five episodes in and I’m ready to call it quits for the first time,” Darcy said.</p>
<p>“You can’t. You have a three-year contract,” Steve pointed out.</p>
<p>“I could try getting fired?”</p>
<p>“Please don’t. Then I’ll be all alone and we’ll have to re-shoot everything we’ve done so far.”</p>
<p>Darcy grimaced. “Okay, I’m staying on, but only for your sake.”</p>
<p>Steve looked at her earnestly. “Why’re you doing it?”</p>
<p>Darcy shrugged. “I majored in political science, did you know that? I moved to DC with all these hopes and dreams to make it on Capitol Hill but that didn’t work out so I got my license and just started… I was good at it and then a co-worker mentioned the auditions and turns out I’m a natural in front of the camera. So here I am. What about you?”</p>
<p>Steve shrugged. “I like working with my hands and when I left the army, I figured that’s a good way to start, adjust back to civilian life, and it went from there… My friend Natasha signed me up for the audition, telling me it was good to get out of my comfort zone.”</p>
<p>“Well, she got that part right.”</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p>Steve was at home for the weekend, sleeping in for a change, when his phone rang early in the morning.</p>
<p>“Yes,” he answered sleepily without looking at the caller ID.</p>
<p>“Help,” Darcy yelped into the phone.</p>
<p>“Darcy?” Steve was immediately alert.</p>
<p>“There’s a leak in my kitchen and now there’s water everywhere.”</p>
<p>Steve was immediately alert. “Text me your address, I’ll be right there.”</p>
<p>He was at Darcy’s place 15 minutes later, where she opened the door still in her drenched nightgown. It only took a couple of minutes to stop the water. Steve was sitting up from under the kitchen sink, taking a final look to make sure that everything was all set when Darcy spoke up out of nowhere.</p>
<p>“You know that this is the perfect set-up for porn, right?” she said. “Me in this flimsy, now wet nightgown, the handsome handyman with the toolbelt…” Steve would’ve been worried that she might be hitting on him, that she was hoping to get more out of this tentative friendship that they’d just started building, but she said it so dispassionately, like an unemotional observation, that he figured she wasn’t really thinking about what she was saying. “Might be the helpless ingénue-” Darcy suddenly stopped herself, blushing furiously. “Sorry, that came out sooooooooo wrong.”</p>
<p>Steve snorted. “It sure did.”</p>
<p>“Just forget I’ve been saying anything,” she pleaded.</p>
<p>Steve only nodded curtly. “It’s just a temporary fix,” he told Darcy, gesturing towards the waterline. “You need somebody to take a deeper look at it.”</p>
<p>Darcy sighed. “That’s gonna take a while. My landlord is an asshole.”</p>
<p>“You don’t own this place? You’re a real estate broker; you haven’t found the perfect place yet?”</p>
<p>“I’m still searching.”</p>
<p>They were silent for a moment during which Steve got up from the floor and looked around in her apartment. Now that he knew, he saw the signs for transitory living. The furniture was functional but nothing more. The walls were white and bare. There was nothing giving this place character.</p>
<p>“Let me treat you to breakfast,” Darcy finally offered.</p>
<p>“That’s nice of you, but I have to head home. Toby is probably already waiting.”</p>
<p>“And Toby is?”</p>
<p>“My dog.”</p>
<p>Darcy sighed deeply. “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that.”</p>
<p>Steve opened his mouth to ask what was wrong with her, but Darcy continued on, “Dog’s with people names freak me out. One of my friends called her dog Richard and our friendship was never the same after that.” She grinned up at him.</p>
<p>“Well, it is what it is,” he grinned back at her.</p>
<p>“Thanks again for your help. I owe you.”</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p>Their show premiered on a Thursday afternoon. The night before Darcy met up at Jane’s house to watch an advance copy of the first two episodes.</p>
<p>“Your workplace nemesis is hot,” Jane commented once Steve was introduced as Darcy’s competitor, the savvy contractor who wanted the family of the week to realize their dreams in their existing, renovated home while Darcy was all for selling the old and finding a new home.</p>
<p>“Yup.”</p>
<p>“And so earnest,” Wanda added. “No fuckboy vibes or anything. Is that real?”</p>
<p>“Very much so. Or he’s a really good actor. But I doubt it.”</p>
<p>“He’s got a good eye,” Carol observed. “He’s-”</p>
<p>“Can you please start singing my praises too?” Darcy interrupted her jokingly. “You guys are giving me a complex.”</p>
<p>“I was about to say: He’s a formidable opponent but clearly he has no chance against you.”</p>
<p>“However,” Jane said. “He’s gonna get <em>all</em> the fan attention.”</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p>They were filming the second to last episode the following week.</p>
<p>“What are you up to this weekend?” Darcy asked Steve while they were waiting to repeat a scene that had been interrupted but a string of police cars driving past. “I still owe you that favor, and I don’t want get out of my debt before the season wraps.”</p>
<p>“It’s really not necessary.”</p>
<p>“I’m dead serious. Do you need your lawn mowed? Your bathroom scrubbed? What about a nice peach pie?”</p>
<p>“Really, it’s not-”</p>
<p>“Steve, come on. Be a normal human being and accept my help for a change.”</p>
<p>He sighed deeply. “I’ll be doing work on my house this weekend,” he offered.</p>
<p>“Text me the address. I’ll be there.”</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="phone">
  <p class="messagebody">
<span class="header">Steve</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">112 Sycamore St<br/>
Alexandria, VA 22305</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">Is this what I think it is?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">My house.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">You said you were thinking about stopping by.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">I’m here now if you’re not busy.</span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><p>~*~</p>
<p>“Hello?” Steve heard Darcy’s voice from downstairs.</p>
<p>“Master bedroom,” Steve called back down to her. He heard footsteps and two minutes later Darcy appeared in the doorway.</p>
<p>“This is not what I expected,” she announced.</p>
<p>“What did you expect?”</p>
<p>“Not sure… but a fixer upper? You’re a workaholic, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>Steve shrugged. “It takes my mind off things.”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Darcy said quietly. “That I can imagine.” She looked around. “So you’re doing all this by yourself?”</p>
<p>“My friends helped with the outside work-”</p>
<p>“Which looks great, by the way.”</p>
<p>“But I’m doing most of the inside by myself.”</p>
<p>“And now I’m helping,” Darcy announced cheerfully.</p>
<p>Steve took her in for a second. She looked somewhat prepared for work. Old jeans and a faded grey shirt. “Do you have something more substantial than canvas shoes?” he asked.</p>
<p>Darcy looked down at her feet. “No, not really.”</p>
<p>“What about those shoes you wear when you visit the set?”</p>
<p>“They belong to the production. I haven’t really had a reason to use them outside of that.”</p>
<p>Steve nodded. “We’ll make it work. Just do exactly as I say.”</p>
<p>For the next few hours they worked on dismantling the master bathroom. Steve worked on getting the plumbing disconnected and Darcy started unscrewing the cabinets, then removing the backsplash and finally helped wrestling the counter off the old vanity. They made good progress, Darcy was circumspect and did exactly as instructed.</p>
<p>“Alright,” Steve said. “Next up is removing the toilet and then knocking the tiles off the walls.”</p>
<p>“Finally some wrecking!” Darcy said excitedly.</p>
<p>“You wanna stay for that? Your debt is more than repaid.”</p>
<p>“This is actually fun.”</p>
<p>“Don’t complain tonight when you’ll be exhausted and achy and dirty and especially not tomorrow when you’ll be sore.”</p>
<p>“Let’s go have some water and then move on,” Darcy said, ignoring his warnings.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I have to check up on Toby anyway. See if he’s still in a good mood.</p>
<p>“He’s here?” Darcy said in surprise.</p>
<p>“The yard is still fenced in, so it’s okay for him to run around and hunt squirrels.”</p>
<p>They went downstairs and through the backdoor onto the patio. Steve whistled and seconds later Toby came running towards them. He stopped, looking between them, then trotter over to Darcy, wagging his tail and giving a happy bark.</p>
<p>Darcy sank down to greet him. “Who’s a good boy? Have you been chasing squirrels? Have you? Have you?”</p>
<p>They spent some time outside in companionable silence, Toby’s happy barking the only sound, before heading back inside for more work.</p>
<p>“Can I ask…” Darcy began hesitantly. “You don’t have to say anything, but… Is he a service animal?”</p>
<p>“He’s not. But that doesn’t mean that his presence is not helpful.”</p>
<p>Darcy hummed in acknowledgement. “You know what would be so much fun?” she said with a malicious gleam in her eyes. “Featuring him on your Instagram.”</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p>“Why do I not know that you have a dog?” Tony demanded. “I had to find out on <em>Instagram</em>. We’ve shot almost an entire season not knowing-”</p>
<p>“Tony, stop.” Steve held up a hand.</p>
<p>“Take a deep breath,” Darcy added. “Everything is going to be alright.”</p>
<p>“But we missed out on a perfect opportunity-”</p>
<p>“No,” Steve interjected immediately, “we did not. I have a dog, that’s all.”</p>
<p>“But he could’ve-”</p>
<p>“Nope,” Darcy said. “The only thing that Toby’s supposed to be doing is chasing squirrels and being adorable.”</p>
<p>“But emotional support animals are all in rage right-”</p>
<p>“Tony,” Steve interrupted, his voice now sounding dangerously low, “stop and think very carefully about how you want to continue that sentence.”</p>
<p>Tony took a deep breath and then released something that sounded like a growl. “Fine. But you have to keep featuring him on Instagram. You’re engagement there is through the roof.”</p>
<p>“I’ll see what I can do,” Steve conceded.</p>
<p>Rhodey stepped up to them.</p>
<p>“Hey, where’s your shoes?” Rhodey asked Darcy. “We’re on the construction site. You’re supposed to wear them.”</p>
<p>“I don’t know. Don’t you have them?” she asked much too innocently.</p>
<p>Steve glanced at her suspiciously. When Rhodey had gone off in search of shoes for Darcy and Tony left to do whatever he was doing, he stepped next to Darcy.</p>
<p>“Thief,” he whispered.</p>
<p>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Darcy answered, trying to reign in her smile.</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p>Darcy and her stolen shoes were back at Steve’s the next weekend, helping by tearing up the carpeting downstairs.</p>
<p>“You certainly seem to be good with your hands,” Darcy observed.</p>
<p>Steve turned around and narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you hitting on me?”</p>
<p>Darcy broke into pearls of laughter. “Just repeating what I read on the internet.”</p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p>“You’ve got fans, Steve, <em>a lot</em> of them. You’re the breakout star of our little show. Also, I’m pretty sure we’ll get fired if we start sleeping with each other.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean, <em>fans</em>?”</p>
<p>“Oh, Steven, Steven, Steven, Steven,” Darcy whipped out her phone from her pants pocket, “you’re in for a treat.”</p>
<p>Steve looked at her suspiciously.</p>
<p>“Comment from Elisa1987: ‘Can he stop by my house too? I need woodwork done.’ lonelyhousewife84 – such a cliché,” Darcy commented, “writes: ‘He can certainly tend to my garden.’” Darcy paused to laugh. “And my personal favorite from AGardiner: ‘He can come by and do some plumbing anytime.’”</p>
<p>Steve stared at her and Darcy laughed harder, tears streaming down her face.</p>
<p>“And I’m pretty sure,” she added, gasping for breath, “that you’ll be voted sexiest man on reality TV this year. The first of many such accolades I’m sure.”</p>
<p>Steve groaned and Darcy laughed harder.</p>
<p>“You’re having way too much fun with that.”</p>
<p>“Oh yes, I am.”</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p>“So that’s a wrap, huh?” Darcy sat down next to Steve.</p>
<p>“Yup. Do you think we’re gonna get picked up for a second season?”</p>
<p>Darcy grimaced. “I’m pretty sure, yeah. It’s all your fault.”</p>
<p>Steve frowned at her. “Why’s that?”</p>
<p>“Because half of the female population is lusting after you on the internet.”</p>
<p>Steve groaned audibly. Darcy had mentioned this more often than not.</p>
<p>“Do you want to hear the latest?” Darcy asked. “It’s funny. Some people are really creative.”</p>
<p>Steve looked at her in mock exasperation. “Why’re you even asking? You’re going to tell me anyway.”</p>
<p>Darcy grinned widely, her disappointment momentarily forgotten. “True.” She whipped out her phone. “Anyway, this is from booklover84: ‘I’m totally going to hire Steve Rogers as a contractor for my project next summer. I’m thinking I’m going to renovate the kitchen. My husband will obviously know nothing about this. But anyway, it’ll be next August I think and it’ll be a sweltering hot DC summer day and my AC will… misbehave.’”</p>
<p>Steve shook his head good-naturedly but remained silent.</p>
<p>“‘And then,’” Darcy continued, “‘he’ll unfortunately have to get rid of his shirt giving me the prime opportunity to see his perfect upper body glistening in sweat.’”</p>
<p>“Why would I work shirtless, renovating her kitchen? That’s one, unprofessional and two, do they realize how dirty construction can be? You don’t want to be half naked.”</p>
<p>Darcy snorted in disbelief. “Steve, it’s fantasy. I’m telling you, these women get creative. There’s this other entry by DCGirrrrl and she writes about how she’ll hire you to do some work in her garden.”</p>
<p>“I don’t do landscaping,” Steve said.</p>
<p>“And her sprinkler system will, for some mysterious reason, activate and leave you entirely drenched in your tight white shirt. I quote: ‘It’ll leave nothing to imagination.’”</p>
<p>“Why would I wear a white shirt for landscaping?”</p>
<p>“It’s a fantasy, Steve, fantasy!”</p>
<p>“Sure, let’s go with that.”</p>
<p>“So what are you going to do next? Are you still going to continue working on your house?”</p>
<p>“For a bit. Then I’m gonna take some time off. Not sure what I’m going to do yet.”</p>
<p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="phone">
  <p class="messagebody">
<span class="header">Darcy</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Do you own a tux?</span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><p> </p>
<p>Steve frowned at his phone. The text from Darcy seemed to come out of nowhere. They still kept in contact but hadn’t seen each other for a while. Darcy had helped out with at his house for a few weeks after wrapping the first season until Steve had packed up his belongings and started driving West.</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p><div class="phone">
  <p class="messagebody">
<span class="header">Darcy</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">What?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">A tux. You’re gonna need it.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">What for?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Where the hell are you?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">Montana. Why?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">So not the edge of civilization. Google your name. Emmy nominations were announced this morning.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">Oh no.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Oh yes.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Better get your ass to California in time. Otherwise Tony is going to drag you there by your pinky toe.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">Do I have to go?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">If I’m going, you’re going. Be thankful that you only have to wear a tux and not squeeze yourself into a dress that is going to be criticized by everybody anyway. You can even buy it and wear it several times, whereas women… you know the drill.</span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="tw twBody">
<p></p><div class="twUser"><p>
      
      <span>
        <span class="twName">A Lady</span><br/>
<span class="twHandle">@DCGirrrrl</span>
      </span>
    </p></div><div class="twText"><p>STEVE ROGERS IN A TUX! THIS IS NOT A DRILL</p></div><div class="twStats"><p>
      <span class="twLikes">❤ 89</span>
      <span class="twTime"> 6:07 PM - September 13, 2018</span>
    </p></div></div>
<p></p><div class="tw twBody">
<p></p><div class="twUser"><p>
      
      <span>
        <span class="twName">Daytime Emmys</span>
        <span class="twVerified">✔</span><br/>
<span class="twHandle">@DaytimeEmmys</span>
      </span>
    </p></div><div class="twText"><p>The <span>#DaytimeEmmys</span> Award in Outstanding Structured Reality Program goes to <span>@FeelsLikeHomeHGTV</span></p></div><div class="twStats"><p>
      <span class="twLikes">❤ 67.1K</span>
      <span class="twTime"> 9:07 PM - September 13, 2018</span>
    </p></div></div>
<p></p><div class="tw twBody">
<p></p><div class="twUser"><p>
      
      <span>
        <span class="twName">Andrea</span><br/>
<span class="twHandle">@AGardiner</span>
      </span>
    </p></div><div class="twText"><p>Did you see that hug Darcy gave Steve? Shipping shall commence in 3… 2… 1…</p></div><div class="twStats"><p>
      <span class="twLikes">❤ 63</span>
      <span class="twTime"> 9:08 PM - September 13, 2018</span>
    </p></div></div>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Season 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h3>Season 2</h3><p>“Steve, Darcy,” Tony yelled across the room. “Can you come over here for a second?”</p><p>They looked at each other in confusion but did as asked.</p><p>“Okay,” Tony began. “I know you guys actually like each other, but you need to play it up more for the cameras, okay? You’re too nice. Darcy, you lost last season, you want to retaliate. You’re desperate to win now.”</p><p>“I’m not going to be a shrill harpy,” Darcy objected.</p><p>“And nobody is asking you to. Just be… less friendly, more competitive. And Steve, you desperately want to keep the title. Also, be cockier. You’re the winner, after all. Act like it.”</p><p>Steve rolled his eyes on annoyance.</p><p>“I’ll pretend that I didn’t see that,” Tony said. “This is just for the promos, okay? Once we’re actually filming, the families will practically do their job for us.”</p><p>“Oh no, Tony, what did you do?”</p><p>~*~</p><p>“If I ever hear the word ‘mancave’ again, I’m gonna scream,” Darcy complained over the phone. She was on her way home after a truly exhausting day shooting altogether four showings with the Churchill family. The husband had been an asshole throughout. “It’s ridiculous. Maybe Tony should change the format a bit and whenever somebody says ‘mancave’ I look into the camera like I’m on The Office. I mean, seriously? It’s your fucking kids, your wife does all the work anyway. Why would you need an escape? Time to take some responsibility!”</p><p>Steve just hummed in response.</p><p>“I’m so annoyed at this. He’s an asshole! And she’s so sweet! Get a divorce, lady!”</p><p>“She’s not going to,” Steve pointed out much too reasonably.</p><p>“I hope you’re doing terrible work with their renovation,” Darcy said. “But then also not, because she doesn’t deserve it.”</p><p>“I know,” Steve acknowledged. “I’ll make sure she’s happy with it even if the asshole husband will hate it.”</p><p>Darcy sighed deeply. She couldn’t wait to get home.</p><p>“What are you up to after this day of horrors?” Steve asked.</p><p>“On my way home to drown my sorrows in red wine.”</p><p>“Well, I’m in the process of knocking down a wall and that always manages to calm me down.”</p><p>“What do you mean?”</p><p>“I have a sledgehammer and safety goggles here with your name on it. Drop by and I promise you’re gonna feel better in no time.”</p><p>“Give me ten minutes.”</p><p>~*~</p><p>“You haven’t updated me about fan entries for a while,” Steve said. He’d come downstairs to check up on Darcy, who was sanding the kitchen cabinets to repaint them later.</p><p>“I knew you liked them!” Darcy said triumphantly. “They were so funny! Wait, did I tell you about that one entry where somebody tried to make a pun about ‘wetwork’ not knowing that it’s a euphemism for contract killing? I, and all of Twitter really, was having the time of my life.”</p><p>Steve snorted. “That <em>is</em> funny.”</p><p>“I know, right!”</p><p>“So, what else is up?”</p><p>“Well, it mostly revolves around us these days.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Yeah, apparently we’re having a lot of hate sex. Mostly in the participant’s houses after the cameras are off. You know, in the rooms that are off limits and not meant for renovation? Or maybe during construction? It varies.”</p><p>Steve blinked at her.</p><p>“Tony’s strategy about emphasizing the competitiveness is definitely working this season,” Darcy said conversationally. “And there’re a lot of people from DC on said pages. Or at least they say so. A lot of people claim to know you and your family status.”</p><p>Much to her surprise, Steve cursed loudly. “Are they saying anything?”</p><p>“No,” Darcy said slowly, confused by his reaction, “just assuring everybody that you’re single and ready to mingle.”</p><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="tabloid">
  <p>
    <strong>
      <em>Steve Rogers: His Tragic Love Story</em>
    </strong>
  </p>
</div><p>~*~</p><p>Darcy was a the grocery store, waiting in line at the checkout when she saw the cover of US Weekly with Steve’s face and that of a woman in uniform on it, loudly blaring about his tragic love story in a war zone that ended with the untimely death in action of his wife. The news hit Darcy like a freight train. Suddenly everything made so much sense, most of all his reaction a few weeks ago when she’d told him that people were speculating about his private life.</p><p>She wondered if he’d seen already. She tried calling him but he didn’t answer, the call going to voicemail after five rings. He didn’t answer for the rest of the afternoon, so Darcy finally decided to track him down. She knew him by now so she guessed he’d be at his house, working and trying to ignore the spotlight on his private life.</p><p>She was proven right in her theory when she drove up to the house and saw Steve’s car in the driveway. When she went around the house, Toby came to greet her. “Where’s your daddy?” she asked quietly. “Is he alright?”</p><p>She let herself in and looked around. There was no sign of him and no sounds coming from the house.</p><p>“Steve?” she called out.</p><p>She heard footsteps and seconds later Steve was standing in front of her. He looked absolutely shitty. “Oh Steve,” Darcy only said.</p><p>“So you read that, huh?” he said, resigned.</p><p>“Only the headline.”</p><p>“You want to know about Peggy?” he sounded defensive. “Is that why you’re here?”</p><p>“I’m here because you’re my friend and that was some shitty journalism. You don’t have to talk, not if you’re not willing to tell me. I brought beer,” she added, holding up the sixpack in her hands.</p><p>Steve only nodded. “We can sit out back.”</p><p>They sat in the rickety camping chairs they’d placed on the back porch a while ago and watched as Toby was running around in the yard, digging up dirt. Darcy didn’t press Steve to say anything. She didn’t want him to be alone but she also didn’t want him to feel obligated to explain anything.</p><p>“She was a pilot,” Steve said quietly after almost an hour had passed. “Peggy… she flew helicopters. She got shot down… We met on deployment… she was amazing, wouldn’t give me the time of day at first…” Steve smiled at that memory. “Me or anybody else really, she was focused, driven, wanted to be the first woman to make it into SOAR – an elite helicopter unit. I still don’t know how I convinced her to go out with me… But we fell in love and got married while we were on leave and we were happy, for a while, until that RPG…”</p><p>Steve took a long swig from his beer.</p><p>“Military marriages can be tough, and we were trying to figure it out since we were both deployed. For Peggy there was nothing else, she came from a military family. Ancestors on her father’s side served in every major conflict since the Revolutionary War. Can you believe that? And on her mom’s side there were some pretty high-ranking British officers…”</p><p>“That’s impressive,” Darcy commented.</p><p>“Yeah… I had thought about retiring though and then, when Peggy d-died, I did.” Steve shrugged, pretending that it wasn’t a big deal.</p><p>“It must’ve taken you a while to piece yourself back together though. You lost the woman you loved and then the structure that the army gave you.”</p><p>“Yep,” Steve nodded. “But work has helped and therapy has helped and sessions at the VA have helped and my friends have helped, so… I was lucky, in a way. And I’m still trying to figure out this TV gig and the publicity… I didn’t want it to come out like this, but I took this job because I figured it would give me an outlet to shine a light on veteran’s issues. There’s so many of us now and a lot of us don’t make it. The statistics about suicide among veterans are really depressing. As are the numbers about homelessness.”</p><p>“I had no idea.”</p><p>Darcy was about to ask Steve to tell her more about that when a female voice rang out, calling Steve’s name.</p><p>Darcy looked at him in shock while Steve answered with a loud, “Over here.”</p><p>“Girlfriend or sister?” she whispered urgently, figuring that those were the women that would show up unannounced. “Or do you give random women the address to your house?”</p><p>“Neither, that’s my best friend’s wife. And there’s no keeping anything from Natasha anyway, since she’s a spy,” Steve said the last part loudly.</p><p>“Not true,” the woman called Natasha spoke up behind them. “I was a highly-trained military contractor and now I’m running a martial-arts gym.”</p><p>Darcy turned around to see a stunning redhead stand in the doorway. Steve got up and went over to her and to her surprise, this Natasha women gave him a tight hug before giving him a once over.</p><p>“You okay?” she asked quietly.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>Natasha looked at him a moment longer. “Excellent.” She started grinning, rubbing her hands together in glee. “Now that we’ve covered that. Darcy,” she turned towards her, “it’s so nice to finally meet you.”</p><p>“Thanks. It’s nice to meet you as well.”</p><p>“I’ve been pestering Steve to introduce us.” Natasha smiled widely while Steve groaned. “Since you’ve become friends and all. And I’ve been dying to see that famous sexual tension in action. See how it translates into real life.”</p><p>Darcy frowned at her while Steve explained, “You and Nat frequent the same websites.”</p><p>“It’s not <em>websites</em>, Steve, that sounds so weird,” Natasha teased. “Like some dark corners on the internet or something. It’s just Twitter and Instagram, you old man.”</p><p>“I mean, there are probably a few Facebook groups as well but nobody wants to wade into that cesspool,” Darcy quipped.</p><p>“True,” Natasha agreed. “Also, the YouTube comment section.” She gave a horrified shudder. “But discord servers maybe? Those look like fun.”</p><p>“I’m going to head inside,” Steve said, “and find a chair for Nat and also to give you two some time to catch up on this.”</p><p>Nat looked after Steve until he was out of earshot before turning back to Darcy. “I’m trying to distract him with all that nonsense,” she told her quietly. “Or do I need to say something? Is he okay?”</p><p>“He seems like it… it’s hard to say.”</p><p>Natasha nodded knowingly. “He just keeps everything inside.”</p><p>“I’ve gathered that. But distraction is why I’m here too.”</p><p>They left it that and when Steve returned with another rickety camp chair, Natasha and Darcy were innocently chatting about memes involving Steve and appreciating the creativity of the internet in their fawning over Steve.</p><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="phone">
  <p class="messagebody">
<span class="header">Darcy</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">How did I not know that you birthday is on the 4<sup>th</sup> of July?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">How did you find out?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Natasha told me.</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">I knew nothing good would come out of this</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Stop stalling. Why didn’t you say?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">Saw no reason for it. I don’t know your birthday either</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Well, you’re in for a surprise, buddy, because it’s also on the 4<sup>th</sup> of fucking July.</span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><p>~*~</p><p>“Darcy, I know I’m running late,” Steve answered the phone, not even giving Darcy a chance to speak. A few weeks ago Darcy had first badgered him into coming over for dinner since she “cooked too much food anyway” (her words) and the two of them hanging out over whatever Darcy had prepared had now become a weekly occurrence. “I’ll be there in half an hour.”</p><p>“Oh, good,” Darcy said, “I’m not there yet either. Can you make a detour and meet me in Silver Spring? I need your professional opinion.”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>Darcy gave him the address and 20 minutes later Steve stopped in front of a 3-level Brick Colonial with a for-sale sign on the front yard. Darcy opened the front door for him.</p><p>“Hey,” he greeted her while looking around. He could already tell from the outside that the house needed a lot of work, but it sat on a beautiful piece of land on the corner of two quiet streets with a large oak tree in the backyard.</p><p>“Remember when you first came to my place and I told you that I was still looking for my perfect place?” Darcy started without preamble. “This might be it.”</p><p>“Okay,” Steve nodded, walking around the perimeter of the house.</p><p>“I never really looked at fixer uppers before,” Darcy said excitedly, “but now that I’ve spent so much time at your place and learned a lot, I think I can do that. And I only need you confirm that and also tell me that the stuff I cannot do myself will not bankrupt me.”</p><p>“The roof will need to be replaced,” Steve said immediately. “That’s going to cost you a pretty penny.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>They stepped inside. “What about the heating?” Steve asked. “That’s another potentially expensive item.”</p><p>“Hasn’t been replaced in over two decades. It’s in the unfinished basement.”</p><p>“If it’s still working, you don’t necessarily have to replace it, but a new, more efficient system might be a sound investment and will save you money in the long run.”</p><p>“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too.”</p><p>They toured all the rooms, Steve making note of everything he would change in the house.</p><p>“And? Your verdict? Give it to me straight.” Darcy asked when they were standing in the living room once more. She bit her lip, looking unsure.</p><p>“The screened deck is a potential hazard and the enclosed porch will need additional insulation,” Steve said and Darcy’s face fell. Maybe he’d sounded to negative, “but other than that… this is a good home, good bones,” he assured her. “It’s outdated but still in good condition. The corner lot alone… And most of the stuff I know you’ll be able to manage. And I’ll help of course.”</p><p>“You don’t have to-”</p><p>“I want to,” he cut her off. “You helped with probably 50% of my home. And since that’s almost done, I need a new project anyway.”</p><p>Darcy nodded. She looked around once more. “Alright, so we’re doing this.”</p><p>~*~</p><p>“We were meant to meet an hour ago,” Darcy said on the other end of the line when Steve finally picked up. “Where are you?”</p><p>“Sorry, I’m still working.”</p><p>“Okay, I’ll drop by the house. I can bring my crockpot now that your kitchen-”</p><p>“No, I’m still at the Wentworth’s place.”</p><p>Darcy was silent for a moment. “But filming ended hours ago.”</p><p>“I know. But there’s stuff I still need to do.”</p><p>Twenty minutes later Darcy dropped by the house with pizza. Steve was in the upstairs bedroom that the couple had wanted to transform into a nursery. He was in the process of painting an extensive stencil onto the wall. He’d chosen a woodland motif for the room.</p><p>“Wow,” Darcy said. “That’s awesome.” She looked around the unfinished room. The furniture was still unpacked leaning against the other side of the room. “But why’re you doing this now?”</p><p>“Didn’t have time,” Steve gritted out. “Or the budget.”</p><p>Darcy nodded in understanding. She could see why Steve was doing this on his own time. The Wentworths were a great couple and were, so far, the only couple Darcy had enjoyed working with this season. “I get that,” she told Steve. “They’re are a perfect couple. I didn’t even want to find a good match for them to buy. I doubt that I can, honestly. And this house is perfect for them.”</p><p>“Exactly.”</p><p>“You’re supposed to be done by tomorrow, right?” Darcy asked.</p><p>“That’s why I’m here. It’s probably going to take all night.”</p><p>Darcy looked around the room once more before rolling up her sleeves. “Give me a screwdriver, will ya?”</p><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="tabloid">
  <p>
    <strong>
      <em>Sexiest Reality Moment</em>
    </strong>
  </p>
  <p>While we’re not surprised about Steve’s and Darcy’s win, this year’s winner is a first in many regards. First of all, the scene between the two never aired as part of the original broadcast and was only was included in a behind-the-scenes video on the show’s official YouTube channel. Secondly, it’s barely a minute long, making it the shortest moment to ever win in this category and thirdly, it’s almost entirely without sound, with the construction sounds in the background drowning out whatever Darcy is telling Steve. Regardless, their body language, gestures and facial expression do all the talking – and they say plenty.</p>
</div><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="internetblog">
  <p>Re: Sexiest Reality Moment<br/>
<span class="small"><em>By J. Shulz</em></span></p>
  <p>So the winner for “Sexiest Reality Moment” was announced just a few minutes ago and we have some thoughts. But first, here’s the play-by-play:</p>
  <p>The winning scene is a brief moment between Steve and Darcy from “Feels Like Home” on HGTV. Steve is eating a peach (get your mind out of the gutter) with a piece sticking to his chin (again, get your mind out of the gutter). Darcy points this out (at least we’re assuming that’s what she’s doing since her words are inaudible) and Steve swipes once, twice, unsuccessfully until Darcy rolls her eyes at him, and reached up to do the job for him.</p>
  <p>Then there’s some back and forth: She says something which makes him roll his eyes at her, she scrunches her nose up at him, making him laugh. He tugs at her ponytail before fixing it for her, she bumps her shoulder into his. They smile at each other wearing somewhat conspiratorial expressions, and then they’re back to being completely professional.</p>
  <p>So… far be it for us to downplay their accomplishments (it is a great scene and it deserves the win) but it’s also completely different from what we’re used to from past winners in this category. Remember, last year’s winner was an… ahem… <em>steamy</em> hookup in a sauna on “Castle of Love”. And while that scene somewhat jarringly cut off at some point, it was more than clear that things progressed far beyond what could be shown on a broadcast required to be PG-13.</p>
  <p>This year’s winner is… not that. Yes, Steve is eating a peach, the universal stand-in for butt. Yes, for a fraction of a second Darcy’s thumb hovers very close to his bottom lip, but other than that it’s strangely… wholesome? Rumors have been swirling for a while that Darcy and Steve are more than competitors, that their intense chemistry on the show has seamlessly carried over into real life, but sources close to the production have insisted that this is all conjecture. Now with the evidence at hand it seems that, if they are really more than friends, they’re probably having less of a scorching-hot-can’t-keep-their-hands-off-each-other-ripping-each-other’s-clothes-off-once-the-cameras-have-stopped-rolling affair and more of an actual long-term, domestic relationship based on mutual respect. And that’s probably the biggest surprise of all. Because we looked up all the past winners and none of the relationships (using that term loosely here) actually survived the end of their show. But Darcy and Steve might actually have a real shot at this.</p>
</div><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="chatheader">
  <p>#DarcyandSteve</p>
</div><p><span class="chatAGardiner">AGardiner</span><br/>
Looking at J. Shulz’s commentary and they’re making some valid points.</p><p><span class="chatKendraM">KendraM</span><br/>
True</p><p><span class="chatKendraM">KendraM</span><br/>
But not to shit on Darcy and Steve’s accomplishments (they’re my OTP) but their win might also have to do with the other contenders? Did they honestly think that weird toe-sucking incident on “Eligible” was one of the “sexiest reality moments”? It was UNCOMFORTABLE!</p><p><span class="chatKendraM">KendraM</span><br/>
And I still have nightmares from those strange eroticized angles they used on those cakes on that Australian baking show *shudders*</p><p><span class="chatbooklover84">booklover84</span><br/>
OMG Yes</p><p><span class="chatDCGirrrrl">DCGirrrrl</span><br/>
That steamy make-out session in the walk-in refrigerator on “Can’t handle the heat?” might’ve been a contender though…</p><p><span class="chatAGardiner">AGardiner</span><br/>
But only if you like body fluids to go with your food</p><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="phone">
  <p class="messagebody">
<span class="header">Darcy</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Sexiest Reality Moment????? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">You’re one to talk. I got double honors</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">Wait, I should’ve written “honors” because those are dubious</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">My condolences</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">But seriously. I’m going to ignore the shit out of this</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">I don’t think I can</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Steve no!</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">Ignoring both of this would be too weird. I could just make fun of it…?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">Sam is telling me that Instagram is the way to go for this</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Don’t you dare say anything about me in your post. It’s too embarrassing</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">I can take one for the team</span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="chatheader">
  <p>#DarcyandSteve</p>
</div><p><span class="chatDCGirrrrl">DCGirrrrl</span><br/>
Did you see Darcy’s comment on Steve’s Instagram? Your OTP could never!</p><p><span class="chatKendraM">KendraM</span><br/>
Are we going to ignore the fact that they’re very much NOT talking about their “couple moment” on TV which won sexiest reality moment?</p><p><span class="chatbooklover84">booklover84</span><br/>
Not denying anything means that there’s something between them IMHO</p><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="phone">
  <p class="messagebody">
<span class="header">Jane</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">So, are we going to talk about it?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">About what?</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">That you two made “sexiest moment on television” or something like that</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="breply">no idea what you’re talking about</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">So this is how you’re playing it? Cool</span><br/>
<br/>
<span class="text">Tell me: How many scenes like this were there to choose from?</span><br/>
<br/>
</p>
</div><p> </p><p>Darcy stared at Jane’s last text message, not sure how to answer, before she finally admitted to herself: Jane had hit the nail on the head. At this point, after almost two seasons and over twenty episodes, there countless scenes like the one that had won that damned “honor.” She couldn’t even remember the specific day that particular scene must’ve been filmed. She and Steve did stuff like that – being comfortable in each other’s presence, joking around – all the time in between takes.</p><p>She had, however, never thought that it would be used for behind-the-scenes content. Given that at any location there were cameras all over the house, catching all footage in real time whenever they were on site, this shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. They were hours of footage left on the cutting room floor.</p><p>In the back of her head she’d also known that the YouTube channel was popular. It had come up frequently in fan comments and she’d known that Rhodey occasionally asked Steve to explain something he was doing, some excellent solve for a construction problem or a low-budget alternative that was just as good as an original, for extra content. And of course there were the time lapses. Everybody loved a good construction time lapse.</p><p>But why one of those scenes? Why had they included that? Tony had been so insistent on highlighting their competitiveness all season. This scene had made it so clear that all of it was fake, contrived. Had they just been hoping for additional controversy and speculation the scene would generate among fans? Darcy had been well aware that fans loved speculating about hers and Steve’s love life, others on the show must’ve been as well. And now that little moment between the two of them was heralded as proof, had been elevated by People magazine into a national talking point, had become one of the most-watched scenes in reality TV history.</p><p>Darcy looked back at Jane’s text. She would ignore this like she’d ignored everything else. It would all die down soon enough.</p><p>~*~</p><p>The doorbell rang and from the kitchen Steve could hear both Sam and Bucky racing to open it, knowing that – any weird surprise visits notwithstanding – Darcy would be on the other side of that door. It was strange that they had never met. Sam, Bucky, and Darcy had all independently helped with the renovations on Steve’s house but their paths had never crossed until tonight.</p><p>He could hear Darcy’s voice but couldn’t make out what she was saying. The entire exchange was inaudible until Sam yelled, “That’s me, I’m the CPA! See, Steve told her about-” and then a grunt, which Steve suspected Sam must’ve made after Bucky’s elbow had “accidentally” collided with his stomach.</p><p>He looked at Natasha with raised eyebrows, but she just shook her head, rolling her eyes affectionately. “You know the rules. As long as their behavior doesn’t turn into an outright brawl, we don’t interfere,” she reminded him before turning back to food prep. “Let those two overeager puppies have a moment with their new friend.”</p><p>There was some shuffling and then footsteps until the three appeared in the kitchen. Sam was holding his side while Bucky was rubbing the back of his head with a grimace. Steve and Natasha observed them for a second before there was a noticeable shift and three pairs of eyes were now honed in on Darcy. She didn’t seem to mind though. She grinned up at him and placed a potted plant on the kitchen island. “I bought you the obligatory house plant.”</p><p>Steve mirrored her grin. “Much appreciated.”</p><p>Steve was well aware that his and Darcy’s interaction would be observed closely tonight to see if there was anything between them. After what Natasha had dubbed “The Peach Incident” (yes, with capital letters), their teasing had been almost unbearable, but Steve knew that this came from a place of affection. His friends were hoping that he’d settle down, find a new partner, fall in love once more.</p><p>He wasn’t ready for that though.</p><p>~*~</p><p>“So Darcy,” Sam asked, leaning over to her. They were sitting on the porch, enjoying one of the first warm spring evenings. Bucky and Sam had interrogated her for the better part of the evening, much to Steve’s embarrassment. She didn’t mind though. They were protective; she got that. “Have you ever been to Steve’s apartment?” Sam continued. “His temporary digs before he moved here?”</p><p>“Sure I-” Darcy stopped herself. “Actually, no.” She hadn’t thought about it. The house had always felt so much like Steve’s place she hadn’t considered that there must’ve been a place for him to live while this house had been under construction.</p><p>“You didn’t miss much,” Sam told her.</p><p>“It was like a prison cell,” Bucky added.</p><p>“Hey!” came Steve’s half-hearted protest.</p><p>“I mean,” Darcy began slowly, “I kind of get it? Why put much effort into a place you’re not sticking with anyway? Best concentrate on the home you actually want.”</p><p>“So Steve hasn’t told you that this is his third fixer upper in the area?” Natasha said in a tone Darcy couldn’t quite place.</p><p>“What?” Darcy looked at Steve in surprise and he had the decency to actually look chagrined.</p><p>“Yeah, let’s hope he actually sticks with this one,” Bucky said, said with a telling look.</p><p>“He got furthest with this one, actually moving in,” Natasha added. “He sold the other two before the paint on the walls had even been dry.”</p><p>“Oh,” Darcy only said, not sure what to think.</p><p>“He never tells us why-”</p><p>“Can you please stop talking about me in the third person,” Steve interrupted Natasha. “I’m right here.”</p><p>“Well, Steve,” Natasha’s grin was almost feral, “tell us: Are you unable to put down roots?”</p><p>“No,” came Steve’s reply, much too quickly. “It just never felt right.”</p><p>“Keep telling yourself that.”</p><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="chatheader">
  <p>#DarcyandSteve</p>
</div><p><span class="chatHGTVAddict">HGTVAddict</span><br/>
So Darcy did an Instagram live video a few minutes ago and there’s a dog in the background who looks a lot like Toby? No sign of Steve though.</p><p><span class="chatAGardiner">AGardiner</span><br/>
Maybe they’re just hanging out? They’ve been sighted together outside of filming occasionally.</p><p><span class="chatbooklover84">booklover84</span><br/>
Hanging out naked is what I’m hoping</p><p><span class="chatDCGirrrrl">DCGirrrrl</span><br/>
This looks like a fixer upper. Didn’t they wrap already?</p><p>~*~</p><p>“Hey Steve,” Darcy looked at him in surprise when he stood in front of her early in the morning. They’d finished shooting the last episode a few days ago and hadn’t seen each other as they’d both been busy. Steve knew however that he’d find her at her house today since the roofing contractor would come the next day and she had some prep stuff to do.</p><p>“Are you here to help?” she asked.</p><p>“If you need any, sure.”</p><p>Darcy looked thoughtful. “Actually, no. I’m just getting ready for tomorrow. But I’ll come back to you once I have more of a plan of attack.”</p><p>Steve felt guilty all of the sudden. She’d been at his place almost constantly, helping out, and now he’d be leaving her to do the work alone, at least for a while. He took a deep breath. “I have favor to ask.”</p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>“I want you to sell my house.”</p><p>Darcy’s expression shuttered almost immediately. “What?”</p><p>“It’s just…” Steve scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably, “not for me.”</p><p>“But you’ve only lived there for a few weeks. Maybe you should give it-”</p><p>“It’s too… big.”</p><p>“Steve-”</p><p>“No,” he cut her off, “it never felt right. I’m gonna sell it and make a nice profit and then I’m going to do something else.”</p><p>Darcy didn’t say anything for such a long time that the silence grew almost unbearable. Steve wasn’t used to that. Darcy was never quiet, she almost always said immediately what came to mind. “Lack of brain-to-much filter” she’d called it once upon a time. Steve was almost tempted to fill that silence, to tell her that even though he had put more than a year of work into it, it didn’t feel like his home. He almost wanted to confess that it felt strange, living in an actual house, living there alone. He’d always assumed that at this point in his life, he’d have somebody to share his home, his life with, but instead it was just him and Toby, wandering around alone.</p><p>“Okay,” Darcy nodded once and cleared her throat. “Yeah, no, your decision… It’s gonna fetch a good price. I’ll make sure of that.”</p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>The stood in silence once more. Steve avoided looking at her, the guilt for abandoning her almost crushing him.</p><p>“So…” Darcy finally spoke up. “Where are you gonna live? Another one of those soulless rentals Sam mentioned?”</p><p>“Actually no. I’ll travel for a bit, like last year. I’m going to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity for a while. They have a program specifically for repairs on homes of veterans. I’ll use my skills for something good.”</p><p>“Admirable,” Darcy said with something in her tone Steve couldn’t quite identify. “So this is goodbye then?”</p><p>“Darcy… no. I’ll just…” Steve faltered. “I’ll be back in a few months. I’m still trying to look for something permanent in the DC area. All my friends are here after all.”</p><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p>
    
  </p>
</div><p>Steve stared at his phone screen in frustration before dropping it on the bedside table. He felt pathetic. There was no need to text Darcy something like this just because he hadn’t heard from her in over two weeks. She was probably busy. There was a lot of work to do at her house. He was just weirded out by the silence between them because over the last year, their texting had been almost constant and now it had suddenly stopped. This wasn’t anything personal, despite the weirdness of their last encounter.</p><p>He let out a long breath and tried to think of something else. He hadn’t made it as far out west this time around and had stopped in Appalachia. He told himself that everything was just fine, the work he was doing felt good, was rewarding and he was already planning on doing something like this on a regular basis, putting his skills to use with a charitable purpose in mind. However, his house, his living situation… the relief he’d hoped for, had felt in the past when he’d completed a project, hadn’t come. Yes, the house had felt like an anvil, but this time around he felt more uprooted than ever. He was well aware that he was running away, but maybe that was no longer enough. Maybe he was supposed to run towards something. He just had to figure out what that was.</p><p>~*~</p><p>“Darcy? Hello?” Darcy looked up from her work and got to her feet at the sound of Steve’s voice. For a second she thought she might’ve imagined it, but there was another “Darcy?” this time sounding closer and a second later Toby sprinted around the corner into the backyard where Darcy was currently working on the deck.</p><p>She took a deep breath and fortified herself. She was not ready. She’d figured that she would have a few more weeks to figure out how to behave when giving him the silent treatment was no longer an option. Last year, Steve had been gone so long that she hadn’t seen him at all between the wrap party and then the week before the Emmys.</p><p>“Toby!” Steve called out now and a second later he was rounding the corner and stopped in his tracks when he saw her. There was a beat of silence while they took each other in. She didn’t want to imagine what she looked like. Probably sweaty and gross from working in the August heat. She could all but feel the sweat rolling down her back.</p><p>In contrast Steve looked almost unbelievably handsome. Not only had the weeks away from DC lessened the haunted look he’d sported the last time she’d seen him, he’d also grown a beard. She mentally shook her head. She hadn’t thought that he could become any more good-looking but the beard had turned the clean-cut handsomeness that had his fans raving and swooning into something both more approachable and more dangerous.</p><p>“Hey Steve,” she said, putting on a bright smile and waving awkwardly, before the silence could get weird.</p><p>“Hey you,” he replied, staring at her.</p><p>Thankfully right that moment, Toby stopped right in front of her. Taking the opportunity to gather her thoughts and to find her equilibrium, she knelt down and concentrated on greeting him. She heard Steve’s footsteps coming closer.</p><p>“That’s some welcome,” he commented good-naturedly. “I hadn’t realized you’d missed him that much.”</p><p>Darcy shrugged and looked up at him. “When did you get back?” she asked.</p><p>“Yesterday.”</p><p>“I thought you’d be gone until mid-September,” Darcy said. “Like last year,” she pointed out when she caught Steve’s confused look.</p><p>“No,” he shook his head, “this time it was much less of a spur of the moment thing like my trip last year… I mean, we could’ve driven further west after we finished that project in West Virginia, but…” Now it was his turn to shrug.</p><p>He turned around and looked at the house for a moment. Darcy figured that he was observing the work so far and expected some wise-ass comment. She could do that, good-natured teasing without deeper meaning would be easy enough.</p><p>“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said instead without looking at her.</p><p>“Of course not,” her protest was immediate and much too strong. “I was busy.”</p><p>Of course she had avoided him. After his announcement that he wanted to sell his house, it had taken her an embarrassingly long time to get over it and with some distance she’d realized that this was because at some point she’d begun hoping that whatever was between her and Steve could turn into something more. But she’d gotten the message loud and clear that this was definitely one-sided. I just had taken her some time to shake off the disappointment. But she was done now. Steve was successfully filed under “never going to happen” and she’d even installed a dating app on her phone. She had yet to swipe on anybody though.</p><p>“Too busy to tell me that you’d moved? I dropped by your <em>old</em> apartment earlier only to find out that you’d no longer lived there. I figured I’d find you here.”</p><p>“Sorry, like I said, I thought you’d take your time and would only return in a few weeks. And in any case, you could’ve texted me, you know,” she deflected. “You’re probably the one with all the adventures.”</p><p>“Not really much to tell,” he said. “It felt good though. Something worthwhile…”</p><p>“So you’re gonna do it again?”</p><p>“Yes… in some way or another. We shall see, with filming and everything…” he trailed off and looked around some more. “So you moved, huh?”</p><p>“Well, contrary to other people that fix things up only to sell them,” Darcy said this in a teasing tone to mask her actual feelings, “I was planning on living here anyway. And why not? The place is livable, just outdated. The roof is fixed and the heating as well. No AC yet, but… It makes no sense to keep paying both rent and mortgage.”</p><p>“From what I’ve seen, you’ve done a good job so far. At least the deck is no longer a death trap,” he pointed out.</p><p>“Condescending asshole,” Darcy teased. “I don’t need your approval to know that I’ve done a good job.”</p><p>That startled a laugh out of him. “So this is how it’s going to be, huh? You think you can do it all now?”</p><p>“Nah, I’m still going to exploit you for your expertise and all my other friends for just their bodily strength. Jane’s new boyfriend helped with the heavier stuff when we were actually repairing the deck.”</p><p>“Sounds like he’s a keeper,” Steve replied good-naturedly. “Wanna give me the grand tour?”</p><p>~*~</p><p>“So,” Darcy began after they’d completed the walk-through of all rooms and were standing back outside. “I have a question.”</p><p>Steve glanced at her in surprise. It was weird for Darcy to say something like that, prepare him for a question. But then… their entire interaction so far had felt not normal, stilted, like they barely knew each other. While he had been disappointed to realize that Darcy had somewhat shut him out of her life while he was gone, going so far as to not tell him that she’d fucking moved, he also knew that he was at fault just as much. He could’ve gotten in touch, told her about his work with veterans, ask how she was doing, but he didn’t. Now they were both paying the price for their behavior.</p><p>He braced for a hard-hitting question about the state of their friendship. “Shoot.”</p><p>“What’s with the-” she gestured towards his jaw, “scruff.”</p><p>He almost breathed in relief. “Didn’t feel like shaving.”</p><p>Darcy hummed in acknowledgement. “So it’s not a sign of your inner state or something?”</p><p>“Nope, I’ve had beards now and then, since I left the army. Tony told me to shave just prior to season one.”</p><p>Darcy gasped in what he hoped was mock horror. “What?”</p><p>“He said clean-cut would work best with the target audience,” he explained, now knowing what the big deal was.</p><p>“That’s a travesty,” she declared.</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“Has Tony never heard of the concept of farmers market hot?” She shook her head in disappointment. She looked up at him and started grinning and it almost felt like old times. “I should definitely teach him that.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Do I even want to know?”</p><p>“It’s a thing on the internet, so… maybe? You should definitely keep the beard though.” Her grin was now entirely too wide.</p><p>“Is that you talking or are you saying this on behalf of my legions of fans on the internet?” Steve teased.</p><p>Darcy stuck out her tongue at him. “Sometimes our interests converge.”</p><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="chatheader">
  <p>#DarcyandSteve</p>
</div><p><span class="chatHGTVAddict">HGTVAddict</span><br/>
We were blessed not only with Steve Rogers in a tux but also with a beard<br/>
</p><p><span class="chatKendraM">KendraM</span><br/>
#CreativeEmmys or as I like to call it #SteveRogersinaTuxDay</p><p><span class="chatKendraM">KendraM</span><br/>
Also, why wasn’t the show nominated for Outstanding Casting for a Reality Program? Because whoever found Steve Rogers deserves a goddamn award</p><p><span class="chatAGardiner">AGardiner</span><br/>
Were they holding hands for that brief moment?<br/>
</p><p><span class="chatbooklover84">booklover84</span><br/>
Steve and Darcy are totally in love</p><p>~*~</p><p>Steve had almost made it. He could see the exit out of the corner of his eye and couldn’t wait to get back to the blissful quiet of his hotel room. He’d walked the red carpet, sat through a 3-hour long awards show and had now attended this after party for over an hour. He’d done more than enough. There was no reason to stay any longer anyway. The four people he knew had abandoned him almost immediately; Tony and Pepper were hobnobbing with influential members of the Television Academy and Rhodey and Darcy had gone off to make connections with… someone.</p><p>Honestly, Steve couldn’t really remember anything. It was all so insubstantial. Too many fake smiles, fake laughs, slaps on the shoulder congratulating him on the show’s repeat win. He was talking to a couple whose name he had immediately forgotten. All this small talk was excruciating.</p><p>He felt somebody’s hands at his back and barely suppressed a shudder. People of all genders had been irritatingly handsy all night long. He started turning his head to glare at the newcomer and let them know to back off, when Darcy spoke up next to him.</p><p>“Brandon, Sheila, do you mind if I kidnap Steve for a second? There’s someone I’d like him to meet.”</p><p>She didn’t even wait for an answer, just grabbed his hand and dragged him away.</p><p>Steve let out a relieved breath. “Thank you so-” he began.</p><p>“No biggie,” she interrupted him immediately and swiveled her head, clearly looking for somebody. “Now where is…” she said almost to herself.</p><p>“Are you really planning on introducing me to somebody?” Steve asked in disbelief.</p><p>“Of course!” She was still not looking at him, ostensibly to find someone in the crowd.</p><p>“Darcy, I don’t-”</p><p>“Oh there she is, excellent,” Darcy cut him off. She turned to him fully before immediately gazing away again. For a second Steve asked himself if she did this on purpose, to avoid looking at him but then mentally shook his head. She was just trying to not lose her prey in the crowd. “You know Sarah Solanio, right?” she asked.</p><p>Steve stared at her blankly.</p><p>“The supermodel? She’s the face of… never mind. She’s a freaking supermodel, that should be enough. She’s here tonight, ostensibly as her sister’s date – the sister is a producer on Lovers and Liars. I know you find that show super manipulative, but I have it on good authority that Sarah totally has the hots for you and would love-”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“You didn’t even let me finish!”</p><p>“I don’t want to meet her. I just want to go home.”</p><p>“Home, that’s rich, coming from you,” she muttered.</p><p>There it was again, that undercurrent… For a second, Steve didn’t know that to say. He’d struggled with this the last few weeks, ever since he’d returned from his trip. Their friendship felt more… volatile. They’d mostly managed to go back to their good-natured teasing but there were also instances were there was this tension now. He wondered, if he should address this, but there was a time and a place for this and right now, this wasn’t it. “Just leave it,” he said instead.</p><p>He had Darcy’s full attention now. She was clearly gearing up for a fight. Her eyes flashed for a second and she took a deep breath.</p><p>She looked beautiful and dangerous.</p><p>Suddenly the collar of his tux felt constricting. He’d been trying very hard not to notice this the entire night. It wasn’t just the dress – some thrift store find from a well-known designer she’d been super excited about – that hugged her curves and made her skin glow, it was the combination of all this and the things he’d started to notice in the last couple of weeks they’d worked together on Darcy’s house. Had her cut-offs always been that short? Had her skin always looked this soft? Had her lips always looked that kissable? When had he started finding the little gap between her front teeth so adorable?</p><p>He forced himself to look away.</p><p>“Oh yeah? Are we going to ignore this just like we ignore everything else?”</p><p>“Darcy-” he warned quietly. He looked around and noticed that people in their vicinity had noticed the tension. He didn’t want to do this in front of everybody. He grabbed her hand and moved them through the crowd to the patio outside, then to a corner away from the other people outside.</p><p>Steve turned to face her. “So?” he looked at her expectantly.</p><p>For a moment there was that anger in her expression again, then her entire expression just… shuttered. He could basically see the wall of bland politeness coming up. Two weeks ago, they’d closed the sale on his house. Throughout the entire process, Darcy had been friendly, professional, bland… He’d hated every second of it. Now she was wearing the exact same expression.</p><p>“I’ve changed my mind,” she said calmly. “You don’t deserve my help.”</p><p>Steve narrowed her eyes at her. “Oh, don’t do that, shut me out like that.”</p><p>“Why not? You do this with everybody else.”</p><p>“What? I don’t-”</p><p>“Don’t even try to deny it,” she cut him off, the flash of anger returning to her eyes. “You sold your house without consulting me even though I also put a lot of work into it-”</p><p>“You’re mad about that?”</p><p>“And you’re keeping everybody at arm’s length,” she continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “I mean, I was just going to introduce you to a good-looking woman who is interested in you. I’m not asking you to <em>marry</em> her or anything. We all know that you are incapable of settling down-”</p><p>“Wow.”</p><p>“But would it hurt you to at least try and have a good time?” She glared at him, her arms crossed in front of her chest, while Steve was unable to form a reply. She cocked her head when he didn’t immediately respond. “So, was that open enough for you?”</p><p>“I’m not incapable of settling down,” he protested. It sounded weak even to his own ears. He hadn’t expected a list of grievances from her and was struggling to respond. He hated being on the defensive.</p><p>Darcy huffed out a laugh. “If that’s what you think…” She stared at him a moment longer. “Well, this has been fun. Allow me to return to the <em>festivities</em> while you brood in a corner.”</p><p>She turned to leave but Steve grabbed her arm and held her back, forcing her to look at him once more.</p><p>“You have to try and stop fixing things, Darcy,” Steve said in a low voice, before he had even time to think about it, “to avoid looking at your own life.”</p><p>Her mouth fell open. “Excuse me?”</p><p>“Why do you want me to settle down? Why are you so fixated on my love life all of the sudden? You haven’t gone on a single date in months. Why don’t we talk about that? As far as I know you don’t have the ‘excuse’ of a tragic love story in your past to keep you from dating.”</p><p>“Bringing up your dead wife? Low blow,” her voice was cold now. “And I’m just fine, thank you very much.”</p><p>“Well, so am I!” he insisted loudly.</p><p>“Keep telling yourself that.”</p><p>He squeezed his eyes shut in frustration, his head tipping back for a second. “Just leave it. I don’t want you to interfere, you don’t want me to interfere.”</p><p>“Interfere?” she nodded in mock understanding. “Good to know that that’s how you think about-” she gestured between the two of them, “this.”</p><p>“I mean I-” he stopped himself because he had no idea where he was going with this.</p><p>Darcy waited a moment for him to reply. “Yeah, I thought so. For the record: I thought I was helping.” She turned around and this time he let her go. “That’s the ABCs of friendship, Steve.”</p><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="tabloid">
  <p>
    <strong>
      <em>Feels Like Home renewed for third season</em>
    </strong>
  </p>
  <p>Usually we wouldn’t even waste any space on this renewal since it was pretty much guaranteed given its rating success and the show’s repeat win at the Daytime Emmys last week. However, what makes this worth reporting is this juicy tidbit: The show’s two stars might be less than happy about it. Reports are circulating that things between the two have been tense lately, boiling over during a heated exchange at an Emmys after party. Reps for the two hosts have yet to comment.</p>
</div><p>~*~</p>
<p></p><div class="chatheader">
  <p>#DarcyandSteve</p>
</div><p><span class="chatDCGirrrrl">DCGirrrrl</span><br/>
Did you see that article on TMZ? Does anybody really believe that they hate working with each other?</p><p><span class="chatbooklover84">booklover84</span><br/>
They spend too much time together outside of work.</p><p><span class="chatAGardiner">AGardiner</span><br/>
No way they hate each other. Remember. The. Peach. Incident.</p><p><span class="chatHGTVAddict">HGTVAddict</span><br/>
Lover’s tiff maybe?</p><p><span class="chatAGardiner">AGardiner</span><br/>
Let’s hope that’s what it is</p><p><span class="chatKendraM">KendraM</span><br/>
Arguments in formal wear? *rubs hands excitedly* That fic is going to basically write itself.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>1. Steve and Darcy share a birthday because Kat Dennings and Chris Evans share a birthday.<br/>2. Sam is an accountant because I'm an accountant and they are sadly underrepresented in fiction :)<br/>3. Peggy is a pilot because I read about SOAR a while back (when they were still not allowing women to serve) and I've always wanted to use it in a fic<br/>4. Those chats are meant to be on discord. I know it looks somewhat rudimentary but there's only so much you can do with AO3 skins...<br/>5. Sorry to all those real dudes who lost against a very much fictional Steve Rogers. I would tell you who they are but I've already forgotten their names... They lost against Antoni from Queer Eye in that (very real!) category though.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>All the usernames are fake and any similarities with people, living or dead, is a mere coincidence ;)</p>
<p>The CSS for the tweets can be found here: <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22517134">Repository: Twitter by gadaursan</a></p>
<p>The texting skin can be found here: <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/6434845/chapters/14729722">How to Make iOS Text Messages on AO3 by CodenameCarrot, La_Temperanza</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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